


Indecision In Matters Of The Heart

by afteriwake



Series: Everybody Wants To Rule The World [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-08 01:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1921461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sherlock comes home with a slightly perplexed look on his face, John's admittedly surprised. And the surprise grows when Sherlock admits that maybe, just maybe, he might actually fancy a certain pathologist. Too bad Sherlock's hell bent on talking himself out of pursuing anything with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Indecision In Matters Of The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah. Normally I write stuff where he comes to this realization and just gives into it. It was nice to write something where he didn't.

John was sitting in the sitting room, looking over some affairs from his other business. He knew Sherlock had a habit of commandeering his laptop as needed, but he could view things on his phone without worry that his secret life would come out. Sherlock had tried to tamper with it once but he'd been locked out. He may have attempted to hack into again after that but John knew he hadn't been successful, so he stored all the pertinent information he needed to take care of things in his now expanded criminal empire on his phone and kept it on him at all times. It was safer that way.

It had been a month and a half since the confrontation at the pool, and life had settled into a bit of a routine. There had been visits with his patients and cases to solve and a life that was _much_ simpler than the life he'd led for so long. There were times he honestly preferred it, that he wished he could simply turn over the details of his other life to somebody else, but with having to keep Moriarty in line he knew that day would be a long time in coming, if it ever came at all.

He heard someone come up the stairs and he quickly got out of the encrypted program he'd been reading the emails on and looked up. Sherlock came into the room, a slightly perplexed look on his face. John knew Sherlock had gone to consult on a case while he'd been at the clinic, and he supposed Sherlock had run down some leads, but he'd never come back with this look on his face. “Everything all right?” he asked.

“Are you asking about the case?” Sherlock asked. John nodded. “I solved it two hours ago. It was so easy I'm surprised Dimmock even called me in to consult.”

“Well, it just shows he's a little green still,” John said with a chuckle.

“Incompetent might be a better term,” he said as he moved to his chair and sat down. “There are reasons I try not to consult for Detective Inspectors other than Lestrade. At least Lestrade only pulls me in on cases that provide a stimulating challenge.”

“So what has you in this state?” John asked.

Sherlock was quiet for a moment. “What is your opinion on Molly?” he finally asked.

“She's a very sweet person. Very kind and considerate. And very smart. She knows just as much about the human body as I do, and she's also had some insights on things you haven't considered that I can tell have caught you off guard.”

“Would you say she's a friend?”

John nodded slowly. “Maybe not a very close one, but she's getting there. I like her a lot, at the very least.”

“Do you fancy her?”

John shook his head. “God no. She's not my type. And I know she's fancied you from the first moment I saw the two of you in the same room together. I wouldn't stand a chance even if I was.” He paused for a moment. “Where is all of this coming from, anyway?”

“I've spent quite a bit of time with her lately. We've talked extensively about things that have nothing to do with whatever case we're working on at the moment. I'll go so far as to consider her a friend at this point, but I think it might be evolving beyond that.”

John's eyes widened slightly. He'd simply assumed Sherlock had no interest in anyone like that of either sex. He hadn't really thought he was even capable of fancying anyone, to be completely honest. So to hear there was the chance he fancied Molly was quite a surprise. “Are you not sure?” he asked slowly.

Sherlock nodded. “I don't form attachments to anyone, really. It keeps me from getting hurt. But I've formed a friendship with the both of you, and admittedly Mrs. Hudson as well if we want to be technical about it. But I find I want to spend more time with her. This is not to disparage you, but she's much more intriguing. And I'm wondering what that means. The only thing I can think is I'm...” He trailed off.

“Fancying her?” John suggested.

“Yes,” he replied with a slight scowl. “And I don't like that. Friendships are one thing. It's hard to end a friendship, if it came to that, but still easier than ending a romantic relationship. And I know she would never purposefully hurt me, but there are ways to manipulate her into doing it, or outright forcing her to. I don't want to jeopardize my friendship with her.”

John thought about it a moment. Truth be told, the idea of Sherlock and Molly becoming more than just friends wasn't a bad one. If there was anyone in the world who could handle Sherlock in that way it would probably be her. And it might do him a world of good to attempt to have a relationship of that type with her. “It's all right to fancy someone else, you know. Especially someone like her,” he said finally. “She would treat you very well, and be very patient.”

“But I know me. Eventually I will push her away. If she doesn't hurt me first then I'll hurt her. That's just the way I am. And I'll put her in danger. There are people who mean to cause me and mine harm. The man I was supposed to meet at the pool, for instance. He's disappeared for now, but that doesn't mean he can't pose a threat later.”

John was careful not to betray the fact he knew exactly why Moriarty had not been there for that particular meeting. He'd gotten quite good at it over the last few weeks. “Are you trying to talk yourself out of having anything more than having a friendship with Molly?” he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “And as my friend you're supposed to help.”

“Well, don't look to me to help do that,” he said, reaching over for his laptop. “I think dating her would do you a world of good. In fact, I might decide to help facilitate things.”

Sherlock looked at him with wide eyes. “You wouldn't.”

“I damn well would,” John said with an emphatic nod. “Have you ever had a romantic relationship, Sherlock? Ever in your entire life?”

“No,” he said.

“Then how do you know you'd muck this one up? Have you _seen_ the way she looks at you? I think the only thing that might push her away is if you cheated on her. Or you lied to her about something very important. Not one of the lies you tell to solve a case, or a little white lie, but something huge. I honestly think she'd forgive a lot. More than most women would.”

Sherlock shook his head. “But why? I don't understand what she could possibly have seen in me that appealed to her at all, besides my physical appearance. Now that we're friends I believe she might actually like me as a person, but why would she want to be in a relationship with me?” He leaned back in his seat slightly. “I think we're both mental for even considering it.”

John sighed. No matter what he said, Sherlock had his heart set on talking himself out of having any type of relationship with Molly that wasn't simply friendship, which was a colossal shame. He opened up his laptop and turned it on. “Have it your way, Sherlock. But I'm not going to help talk you out of it. You seem to be doing a good enough job on your own.”

Sherlock remained quiet for a moment, and then stood up. “I need to distract myself. I'm going to the hospital to run some experiments.”

“I'll start making supper around six, then. At least this way I get to eat at a reasonable hour.” Sherlock nodded, and then made his way back to the door. He paused at the top of the stairs and John waited for him to say something, but then he shook his head and went back down the stairs. The front door opened up a minute later and then shut again. John waited a moment, then put his laptop back on the table for the moment and pulled his phone out again. If Sherlock had even the tiniest bit of attraction to Molly he was going to do everything in his power to make sure no harm came to her. And considering he was one of the most powerful crime lords in the world that should be easy enough to arrange. He tapped out a message to send out and then sent it before stowing his phone. Whenever it was that Sherlock finally accepted the inevitable at least he wouldn't have to worry about someone hurting her or using her to hurt him. He could at least protect the both of them that much. After all, what were best mates for?


End file.
